1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible hose for use as a refrigerant passageway in a vehicular refrigerating cycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A flexible hose of the related art, for use as a refrigerant passageway in a vehicular refrigerating cycle, is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2595578.
The flexible hose of the related art takes the form of a double-layer conduit structure that is comprised of an outer hose and an inner hose. The outer hose and the inner hose are formed of rubber. Inside the outer hose, the inner hose is freely inserted to the outer hose at a position spaced from an inner surface thereof by a given distance. Coupling the outer hose to a compressor input of the refrigerating cycle allows a low pressure refrigerant passage to be established. Coupling the inner hose to a compressor output of the refrigerating cycle allows a high pressure refrigerant passage to be established. With such a structure, a contact area between the hose and the atmosphere decreases. Further, since the inner hose functions as a flow passage for high pressure fluid that leaks at a high leakage rate and the outer hose functions as a flow passage for low pressure fluid that leaks at a lower leakage rate than that of high pressure fluid, the flexible hose encounters less leakage in refrigerant that is leaked from a whole of the flexible hose to the outside thereof and less thermal diffusion in refrigerant that is diffused from a whole of the flexible hose to the outside thereof.
However, since the flexible hose of the related art takes the form of the double-layer conduit structure comprised of the outer hose and the inner hose both of which are made from rubber, the flexible hose encounters an increase in weight per one piece of hose. Further, although the above literature discloses a shape of a fitting formed on a distal end of the flexible hose, there is no disclosure for a method of mounting the fittings to the distal ends of the outer hose and the inner hose. Therefore, it was hard to mount the fittings to the distal ends of the outer hose and the inner hose under a condition where a central axis of the inner hose and a central axis of the outer hose are held in coincidence with respect to one another.